Antibiotic Classes and Risk for Clostridium difficile Infection

Two meta-analyses found risk to be greatest with clindamycin, high with fluoroquinolones or cephalosporins, and moderate with sulfonamides, macrolides, and penicillins. Tetracyclines did not increase risk.

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has emerged as the most severe consequence of antibiotic treatment and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, ranging from mild diarrhea to lethal toxic megacolon. It can occur after treatment with any antibiotic, but prolonged administration of broad-spectrum agents has been identified as the major risk factor. Recently, two research groups have performed meta-analyses to examine the risk associated with the various antibiotic classes.

Brown and colleagues screened 465 studies and included 5 published between 1994 and 2011 (total, 26,435 patients) in their meta-analysis. They found the risk for CDI to be more than tripled after any antibiotic exposure (odds ratio, 3.55). Treatment with clindamycin…

Reviewing Author

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

Antibiotic Classes and Risk for Clostridium difficile Infection

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Reviewing Author